BREXITEER MP John Whittingdale hit out at Chief Brexit Negotiator Olly Robbins, labelling his overheard comments on delaying Brexit as “disturbing” and describing him as only an “advisor”.

John Whittingdale launched a scathing attack on British civil servant Olly Robbins, criticising him for making “disturbing” comments about Brexit. The Brexiteer MP also criticised Mr Robbins for giving advice which is “against the Conservative manifesto”. An ITV reporter said to have overhead Mr Robbins talking in a bar about a “lengthy” Brexit delay. Mr Whittingdale told BBC’s Politics Live: “Having been in Brussels just over a week ago to see Mr Selmayr of the Select Committee I can vouch for the excellence of the bars in Brussels.

He’s an advisor, and at the end of the day it is ministers that take these decisions

John Whittingdale

Mr Whittingdale added later in the programme: “So far the advice that Olly Robbins appears to have been giving has been against the Conservative manifesto.

“It’s against what a lot of us believe in, and indeed we understand that he was the person who produced the Chequers plan, which led to the resignation of the Secretaries of State, because they knew nothing about it.”

Angus Walker, the ITV News Correspondent who overheard the conversation, told LBC: “Olly Robbins and two of his colleagues were sitting there. My cameraman and I were the only other people in the bar. Olly Robbins was talking away about Brexit.

“I think if he realised I was a journalist he probably may have stopped talking.

“I don’t think he recognised me at all but I certainly wasn’t using any sneaky tactics, I wasn’t hiding behind a plant pot, I was sitting fully in his vision in the bar, we were the only other two people in the bar.”

Asked what he said to colleagues, Mr Walker said: “It was a wide-ranging conversation. We've reported tonight on News At Ten the fundamental point he was making was that he was telling his colleagues that in his view, the strategy would be to offer MPs a choice in March between a deal and a delay.

“During the conversation, there were suggestions of that delay being quite lengthy.

"The idea being talked about was that this would focus MPs minds and that they would have this choice right up to the wire."

Reports also claim that Mr Robbins was overheard suggesting the original plan for the Irish backstop was designed to be a “bridge” to a future long-term trading relationship rather than a “safety net”.

The reports sparked fury among Brexiteers with Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen claiming it would make the UK “no more than a colony of the EU”.

The Tory MP posted on Twitter: “It’s clear that the much-hated backstop is, in fact, the end state relationship that the PM has in mind for the UK with the EU.

“If the PM succeeds, our country will be no more than a colony of the EU in perpetuity. This is a betrayal of our country, our democracy and our people.”

A Government spokesman told ITV: “We don’t propose to comment on alleged remarks from a private conversation. The Government’s focus is on securing the improvements Parliament needs to pass a deal so we leave the EU on 29th March.”